TASTY TRIX

Fish Meatballs in Tomato Saffron Cream Sauce for the January 5 Star Meatball Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:54:00 +0000

The theme for the first 5 Star Makeover of the year - hosted as always by the lovely and talented Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! - is meatballs. But how to create a gourmet dish centered around a classic - downright messy, even - comfort food?

So rather than attempt to create something neat and pretty and dainty and perfect, I decided I would work with the meatball's essential nature and present something simultaneously rustic and elegant; unstructured, yet refined. I think I've done that with this dish, a simple fish meatball flavored with shallots, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest, bathed in a rich saffron tomato cream scented with fennel, leeks, white wine, and thyme.
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Gruyere Stuffed Purple Potato Dumplings with a Walnut Parsley Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:28:00 +0000

Recently I was invited to submit an original recipe to the Idaho Potato Commission as part of their "February is Potato Lovers Month" campaign. I happily accepted; after all, this challenge involved two things that are close to my heart: potatoes and money. Not only would I (full disclosure) be paid for my time and trouble in creating the recipe, my dish would be featured (along with those of other participants) on the Idaho Potato homepage for the whole month of February. As an added bonus, prize money was up for grabs, as the commission would choose several winners, including best dish, most original recipe, and best photo.

Well guess what kids? I am very proud to announce that the image at the top of this post won in the "Best Photo" category! Many thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission for this award.
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Asiago Baked Hummus with Caramelized Onions, Black Garlic & Rosemary for the Better Homes and Gardens Recipe Insiders Group

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:26:00 +0000

When a batch of recipes for the Better Homes and Gardens Recipe Insiders Group showed up in my inbox recently, this baked hummus number piqued my curiosity. While I have had warm hummus on wraps or in sandwiches, I've never had it baked - and with cheese! I like those words: "with cheese." Don't you?
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Of Gumbo, Oysters, & Head-On Shrimp: Essential, Classic New Orleans Eats

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Juicy plump barbecue shrimp at Mr. B's Bistro

I have heard people who don't know any better claim that all New Orleans food is the same. "It's all just heavy, saucy stuff," they say. As you may imagine, this generally precipitates a rather stern lecture from me. Yes of course, some, but certainly not all, Creole (and Cajun) food is heavy - but since when is heaviness necessarily a bad thing? Besides, just as with with cocktails, it's all about pacing.

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Tales of Many New Orleans Cocktails: 4 Days, 40-plus Drinks, 2 People, 0 Hangovers

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Riding the streetcar to lunch at Commander's Palace!

I realize that I may not exactly have my pulse on the zeitgeist, culinarily speaking, with this post. After all, the Internet is currently abuzz with hopeful New Year's food resolutions: solemn oaths to observe every single Meatless Monday, exuberant promises to lead a low fat lifestyle ... and, of course, many well-intentioned vows to drink less.

Not me! Don't get me wrong: I don't plan to eat nearly as much duck fat as I did in the last week of 2011 - it is unsustainable! - but I'm not kidding myself. Enjoying a good cocktail is one of the profound pleasures of life, one I never intend to give up. And on my recent four-day trip to New Orleans with Poppa Trix I indulged this passion with abandon. No, I don't mean that I guzzled disgusting grenade drinks or sugary, artless, booze filled cups of crap on Bourbon Street. That is a New Orleans drinking experience for people who don't enjoy drinking, but rather crave being drunk. And annoying.

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Spicy Chicken and Rice Mulligatawny Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:12:00 +0000

I've been absent from the food blog world for the past couple of weeks (Did you miss me? Please say yes!) and the reason is twofold: I took a much-needed hiatus from technology when I went to New Orleans, and then, shortly after I got back, I got full-on walloped by an evil, nasty head cold.

Enter this soup. I needed something warm, healing, and spicy, and so I used a mulligatawny recipe from my favorite new cookbook, Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking, as a base, and tweaked it just enough so that it reminded me of a South Asian version of chicken and rice soup.

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It's Cocktail Time: Tasty Trix is featured on the Food Network UK's Locally Sourced Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:49:00 +0000

Pinch me, because this drink ....

... is featured on this here little ole site:

How cool is that?

There is very little that can cheer me up after returning from a trip to New Orleans. I wake up in a gray fog of "meh," missing the warmth, the food, the people, the architecture, the music, and, of course, the cocktails of that most beautiful, strange, and fiercely individual city in the whole United States - maybe the world.

But having a recipe featured on the Food Network UK site? Well, now, that's gonna cheer me up a bit! And that's just what happened this morning.

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Crispy Kale Chip Tortilla ... Cooked in Glorious Duck Fat, for a Trixified French Fridays with Dorie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Doristas, as you read this I am stuffing my face in New Orleans. I will check out all of your lovely tortillas when I return!

Unlike last time - we will speak of the bland pork roast no more - I am not going to be at all cranky about this week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe. Granted, I changed the whole thing around, but not because I thought the original tortilla was lacking. It's just that ... well, it was full of potato chips. And I love potato chips - maybe a little too much.

You see, I have been depriving myself of all carby goodness in anticipation of my trip to New Orleans (see above). And so I set out to devise a carb-free version of the potato chip tortilla using kale chips.
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An Ode to Texas Red Chili for a Very Wordy Wednesday, and the Cookbook Giveaway Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:11:00 +0000

I had no idea that I was so influenced by pop culture until a recent episode of Top Chef set off a deep and undeniable craving in me for something that I had never even had: a proper Texas red chili. In the challenge, cheftestants were tasked with creating their own bubbling vats of chili, and they were judged harshly by the hungry rodeo-going Texans, especially if they put non-traditional ingredients into their dish.

Number one on the verboten list? Beans. As one Texan put it, "Anybody who knows beans about chili knows that chili ain't got no beans."

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Chard and Pecan Stuffed Pork Roast with a Boozy Tart Cherry Sauce for FrenchFridays with Dorie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:37:00 +0000

I have one word to describe this week's French Fridays with Dorie dish, a chard-stuffed pork roast: bland. No, wait, I have another: boring. Hang on, here are some more: a waste of perfectly good ingredients that would have been much more interesting used in another way.

But what do I really think?

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Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry and an Awesome Cookbook Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Remember a few weeks ago I promised you a giveaway of my favorite new cookbook, Skiz Fernando's Rice & Curry: Sri Lankan Home Cooking? Well, here it is! I knew this book was something special the second I cracked it open, and as it turns I'm not the only one: In the time since I set up this little giveaway, the book has been named by the New York Times as a notable cookbook of 2011.

The author has kindly given me permission to share a recipe with you to give you a little taste of what you'll find in the book. If you've never had Sri Lankan food, you'll notice that while it does share certain ingredients and flavor profiles with Indian and South Asian cuisines, it's definitely its own thing. Plus, many of the dishes in the book are unique to Fernando's family and you won't find them done exactly the same way anywhere else.

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Duck, Duck, No Goose: An (Almost) Wordless Wednesday Feast (and the Pitaya Giveaway Winner)

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Okay, kids - this is about as wordless as I can get for Wordless Wednesday. Presenting: What Poppa Trix and I had for Thanksgiving. Ta-da!

I admit, putting up a post about Thanksgiving food is .... arriving rather late to the party at this point, but I'm hoping that perhaps these dishes will provide some inspiration for a fabulous holiday meal, or an anytime mini-feast. It all came together in just a few hours and caused minimal chaos.

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Olive Cherry Focaccia Pizza ("Fopizza") for the Better Homes & Gardens Recipe Insiders Group

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:09:00 +0000

When the latest batch of Better Homes and Gardens Recipe Insiders recipes appeared in my inbox for review, I was immediately attracted to the flavors in this one. Salty, sweet, tart, spicy ... yep, that about covers it. Its original incarnation is as a bruschetta, and while I think that would be fab, you know I just had to Trixify this a little bit. Rather than go with my favorite focaccia recipe, I made a Sicilian pizza dough I've worked with before that I think yields something in between pizza and focaccia ... a topping delivery method I have dubbed the fopizza.

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South Asian Style Braised Lamb Curry for a Trixie-fied French Fridays with Dorie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:05:00 +0000

At first I was excited when I saw that this week's French Fridays with Dorie dish was a lamb curry. And then ... I read over the ingredients list. Figs. Apples. Honey. Golden Raisins. That's a lot of sweet components in a dish, even for one with supposedly Moroccan overtones. And to balance all this sweet fruitiness? Trace amounts of cardamom and a couple of tablespoons of Madras curry powder ... a mild curry seasoning if ever there was one. Plus - I'm sorry, Madras curry powder is fine, but I simply don't believe you can get a rich, deep flavor from a curry powder that comes in a tin.

Needless to say, I had other ideas.

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Herby Turkey Leg Confit with Dragon Fruit, Pomegranate & Chili Gastrique and a Giveaway That You Really Need!

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:08:00 +0000

Look, I am not self-delusional. (Usually.) I realize that a big hunk of meat on a bone accompanied by a brownish sauce is not the world's loveliest food. I tried to plate it in an appealing way, I really did: That jaunty angle! The clever dots of gastrique! That cute green plate!

But I realize this is not my finest food styling hour. I hope though - I really, really, really hope - that just this once you won't eat with your eyes first. Because this is seriously the very best turkey dish I have ever had, and Poppa Trix felt the same way. And we do not use superlatives lightly.

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Mediterranean Chickpea Chili for the Better Homes & Gardens Recipe Insiders Group

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 16:04:00 +0000

Recently, I received a surprise invitation from Better Homes and Gardens to be a part of their new BHG Recipe Insider program. Sweet! The deal is this: Twice a month they send me links to new recipes, as well as old favorites, and I review anything that catches my eye. There's no obligation to give a positive review, and I have the option to put my own spin on any of the dishes - and regular readers will know that I love nothing more than fiddling with a recipe! Needless to say, I accepted the invitation.

Among the first batch of recipes I received, I was most drawn to this Mediterranean chickpea chili. At this time of year, there are so many (not necessarily unwelcome, mind you) opportunities to eat heavy, cheesy, creamy, calorie-loaded foods that I'm more than happy to take a break from all that and make something hearty and satisfying that still somehow manages to feel light.
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Bison Cottage Pie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:48:00 +0000

There aren't many foods I can think of that are more comforting than this bison cottage pie. After all, it's got meat, gravy, and mashed potatoes, and in my book that's about all you need when you've got a case of the chills, the nasties, or the blues. Well, that and a big glass of red wine.

The semantical among you may wonder why I am calling this a cottage pie, rather than a shepherd's pie. Well, according to many definitions, cottage pies use minced beef, while shepherd's pies go with minced lamb ... I am using neither in favor of ground bison, and so I decided I would call it whatever I pleased.

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(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: On Gluttony, Part 2: In Which I Leave Nothing in Vienna Uneaten, Particularly Tiny Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:42:00 +0000


Good Morning! I am STILL hungry

For this installment of almost Wordless Wednesday, I complete my two-part tale of gluttony and feasting across the glorious city of Vienna. On our second (and last) full day here - and our last full day of vacation - we were determined to leave nothing uneaten.

Particularly tiny sandwiches.

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Savory Stuffed Pumpkin for French Fridays with Dorie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:29:00 +0000

Those of you who were worried that I had been body snatched when I followed last week's French Fridays with Dorie pissaladiere recipe to the letter can relax. I did as I pleased with this, what she calls "pumpkin stuffed with everything good." But then, that's rather the point of this dish: Fill a 3-4 pound pumpkin with an assortment of savories - starch, protein, cheese - bake, and wait for the whole to emerge as greater than the sum of its parts. And does it ever!

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Gougères Filled with Whipped Butternut Squash, Dill, & Gruyère Cream for the Five Star Makeover Tailgate Party

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:17:00 +0000

Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions — everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses.

--Juvenal, Satire X

I don't want to be a party pooper, but the fact is, I do not like football, American or otherwise. I don't care for any team sport, really, and Poppa Trix and I don't follow any. For one thing, something about the randomness of madly cheering for a bunch of men just because they happen to be wearing a particular color jersey does not appeal to me. For another, I am a functional introvert, and as such I am not a big fan of crowd activities. Besides, my contrary streak is a mile wide, and if a bunch of people are going mad over something, I grow suspicious. I am likely to at best ignore it; at worst, despise it.

So you can imagine the blankness of my mind when this month's 5 Star Makeover challenge - hosted as ever by the lovely and talented Natasha of Five Star Foodie and the always creative Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! - was announced: Create a gourmet version of your favorite tailgate party food. And I have never even been to a tailgate party.

But then I rallied. This is supposed to be a challenge after all, right? My mind turned towards the ancient Romans and the Circus Maximus, and the phrase "bread and circuses," or "panem et circenses," first coined by Juvenal in Satire X. The phrase refers to the political philosophy of the late Roman Empire: Give the citizenry plenty of cheap food and entertainment, and they would happily abandon their political involvement and relinquish their rights, living only for fleeting distractions, thinking only of their own pleasure and comfort.

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Pass the Pissaladière ... It's French Friday with Dorie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Are you sitting down? No, really. If you aren't, please do. Or at least hold on to something. Okay, here goes ...

... For this week's French Fridays with Dorie dish, I played it pretty straight and stuck (more or less) to the recipe. And I liked it.

I know! First time for everything, right?

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On Gluttony, Part 1: Schnitzel, Schinken, & Zuppe in Vienna for a (Practically) Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:26:00 +0000

I'm back, and I'm hungry!

On our trip to Europe last spring - the bulk of which was spent in Prague and Krakow - Poppa Trix and I contrived to spend the last two days in one of our favorite places on earth: Vienna. This was partly to see Mother-in-Law Trix, who lives there, and partly to eat. And eat. Oh, and drink. And then, when we were tired of that ... eat. I'll wager that in two days we ate more than most normal people do in a week. In fact, we ate so much in 48 hours that I have divided our gastronomic exploits into two posts, each covering a 24-hour period.

And so, without further ado, please enjoy this not-quite-wordless-Wednesday post outlining our gluttony on day one.
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Coconut, Black-Eyed Pea, Pepper & Pandan Rice: a Spicy M'Baazi Mash Up

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:28:00 +0000

Remember when I told you about how the fabulicious Maya of Foodiva's Kitchen unexpectedly gifted me with fresh pandan leaves from Brunei? Naturally, the first thing I did with it was make a boozy cocktail.

But then I was inspired to go a more solid and nutritious route when Nancy of Spicie Foodie - another beneficiary of Maya's ingredient largesse - posted her pandan coconut rice dish.
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Olive Tapenade Spatchcocked Chicken for French Fridays with Dorie

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:08:00 +0000

A bowl of corn veloute notwithstanding, I have not exactly been the most active Dorista lately. But I just couldn't miss this week's French Fridays with Dorie. You didn't think I would pass up an opportunity to spatchcock something, now did you?

Stop it! There is nothing untoward about spatchcocking. It is simply the removal of a chicken - or other bird's - backbone, and a subsequent flattening of the bird before roasting or grilling in order to facilitate even cooking. As if by magic, both the thighs and the breast are simultaneously finished at an optimal state of juiciness.
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The Opulent Open-Face: Seared Bison Skirt Steak Bites, Potatoes Dauphinoise & Bordelaise Sauce - The Classic Diner Open-Faced Roast Beef Sandwich Reimagined for the 5 Star Cooking with Wine Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Trix) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:03:00 +0000

For this month's Five Star Makeover challenge - hosted as ever by the lovely and talented Natasha of 5 Star Foodie and Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! - we were tasked with creating a gourmet dish incorporating wine. I don't know about you, but wine is an essential component of all of my cooking ... if you catch my drift. But the difference here is that the vino had to actually go into the dish, and not just down the hatch.

My initial stumbling block was this: Dishes and recipes that have wine as an ingredient tend to already be on the fancy side, so how was I to do a gourmet makeover on something that's already gourmet? But then, as Poppa Trix and I were tucking into a humble dinner of roast beef and discussing my dilemma, I (or rather we) had the "a ha!" moment.
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